Song Of The Nightingale
by BatmanBear394
Summary: Upon learning the timeless tale of Cinderella, Harry can't help but notice the similarities between the young girls life and his own. He decides that in order to have his own happily ever after, he must follow her example of being ever gentle and kind. Time passes, and his fairy-tale dreams begin to clash with the dark reality of his destiny... More inside! Rated T for now!


**_A/N:_**

 ** _Hiya everybody! My name's BaBe and I've a feeling we're all gonna be great friends!_**

 ** _I'm a long-winded, newbie writer just entering upon this amazing fandom, so please be patient with me guys! I don't have a beta and I'm not British but I'm completely open to suggestion and criticism, so do feel free to leave your comments as un-sugarcoated as possible. Even if you lot think I should chop off my hands and never write (type?) again, that's fine too!_**

 ** _About the story though, this is one of probably a dozen Disney inspired HP fics I currently have underway and to be honest, it's not even the most composed of the lot. I do adore this storyline, (probably because I've been on and off writing it for well over two years and have gotten to the point where I dream about the plot...) but it's not super hashed out or anything which makes me a bit anxious about putting it up. BUT! what I've got already is pretty damn cool and different from a lot of what I've seen on site, while still hinting along the lines of the more familiar cliches of both fandoms. I do hope you enjoy the ride and maybe even intend to throw out a couple of your own ideas to help me move this along!_**

 ** _Full Summary:_** ** _Upon learning the timeless tale of Cinderella, a young Harry Potter just can't help but notice the similarities between the young maiden's life and his own. He decides that in order to have his very own happily ever after, he must follow the girls' example of being ever gentle and kind. Time passes and his fairy-tale dreams begin to clash with the dark reality of his destiny..._**

 ** _Expectations/Disclaimer:_** ** _DisneyHP. Based off Disney's Cinderella. The title is also derived from Cinderella and the song, "Sing Sweet Nightingale". Obvious main pairing is obvious. Minor pairings are undecided. I own nothing familiar guys and gals, not any parts of the Disney franchise or the Harry Potter franchise. Rating subject to change._**

* * *

 _ **Prologue**_

"Alright children, settle down now."

"Professor, Dudley kicked my foot!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Patricia, Dudley, if you two don't behave I'll send you to the corner with Jacob and Piers and you won't be allowed to watch the film!" Their professor warned sternly, wagging a single finely manicured finger at the both of them. Patty looked genuinely horrified at the prospect and muttered an immediate apology. Dudley, on the other hand, huffed irritably, stretching his arms over his chubby chest and slumping back in his chair.

"'ts just a stupid girls movie anyway."

"Dudley, I won't be warning you again." She countered with a glare before turning to place the tape in the player, offering Dudley ample time to stick out his tongue at her back. A few gasped and a few snickered while only one looked away from the show, still slightly uncomfortable with the pudgy blonde being reprimanded in front of him. Though it happened near nonstop since the two started school barely a fortnight ago, somehow it just didn't feel right, like the world had been shifted off it's axis and flipped upside down.

"Does anyone have any questions before we start the movie?" The room was filled with similar echoes of "No" before Dudley piped up again.

"Professor, Professor! The Boy's not allowed to watch movies! Mum and dad said so!"

As one the entire room turned their eyes to said small, black haired, bespectacled Boy, already well acquainted with his cousin's odd way of addressing him. The Boy-(whose name was Harry, thankyouverymuch)-though horrified to have so many eyes on him at once, said nothing and simply glared down at the scratches and pen marks engraved in his desk.

Dudley always tried to ruin his fun, even more so since they'd started school. He, Piers and Malcolm had even started rumors about him, telling everyone that he had cooties (which he most certainly did not!) or that he next to never bathed (which was hardly his fault when it was Dudley who was always getting him locked away in his cupboard for hours on end!) or that he liked baking and gardening and several other girly pastimes (and well, fair enough, he actually didn't really mind all that much when Aunt Petunia wanted him to weed the garden or bake and things... But they're still chores and they're hardly things to go blabbing to everyone about!). Now the fat pig was trying to get him kicked out of the movie, his first movie in fact! Irritation welled up inside of him and a dozen ways to get Dudley back for it popped into his head. That is, until three words from the front of the classroom calmed his growing fury.

"Is that so?" Their Professor asked, not even looking up from the remote control she held in her hand, her voice so flat and disbelieving he couldn't help grinning to himself. It was nice when other people spotted Dudley for the little liar that he was. Unusual but nice nonetheless.

Then again, Harry wasn't all that sure that Dudley _was_ lying this time. Though neither his aunt or uncle had ever outright told _him_ that he couldn't watch movies, it wasn't highly unlikely they'd explained differently to Dudley. It couldn't always be coincidence that anytime they happened to be watching anything, he'd been shoo'ed away so as to not impede upon their "family time". That being said, if their Professor wasn't bothered with believing Dudley, who was he to argue? He'd been looking forward to watching a movie in class all week. He was hardly about to ruin his chances just to please Dudley of all piglettes.

"It's true! He's a freak, you know, and freaks don't get allowed to do the same things normal people can!"

And again, Dudley managed to enrage him in a single sentence. Or really, with a single word.

Freak.

That word had always given him a horrid feeling. Like swallowing a pot of cooking oil, it was a heavy, slimy sensation that would go down his throat and settle heavily in the pit of his stomach. But even still, it hadn't been until he'd first started school that an unwavering force of anger had also acquainted itself with the term his relatives had seen no problem calling him by for as long as he could remember.

He'd never tell anyone, but he'd even assumed the horrible cuss was actually his given name, right up until the first day of school. Afterward he'd been so furious he'd actually talked back at both his Uncle and Aunt and landed himself a beating and a week without food. His anger hadn't quelled through the punishment though, because the very next day he'd very nearly punched the last few teeth out of Dudleys big mouth when the boy had actually had the nerve to call him a freak as casually as he called his mother mummy. He'd been stopped by the boy's two goons before he could even lay a hit though, and of course Dudley had squealed like the little pig he was as soon as his parents were in view, but even spending the next week tethered to the shed "like the animal he behaved like" with nothing but a water bowl Dudley often came by to spit in, hadn't quieted the aggressive offense he took to the word being spat at him. It had made him think twice about socking his precious favored cousin in the face constantly, but it certainly hadn't made him impervious to anger.

"Dudley Dursley, I have told you before about calling your cousin such vile names and I've warned you to mind your manners more than once already! You march yourself straight to that corner and don't even think about turning around while we watch the movie!"

He had to admit, an odd sort of glee always overwhelmed him whenever Dudley was punished for being the little prat that he was. It was also a bit terrifying. God only knew what would happen if Dudley ever had to face up to his actions, maybe the world would end.

As Dudley's tantrum began to pick up, it certainly seemed that way.

"NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" His cousin screamed, pounding his meaty fists into the face of his desk and kicking out against the legs of who and whatever was closest.

"Dudley, that is enough!" She snapped over his shouting. "You'd better behave or I'll sit you in the hallway like a truly naughty boy!"

"WHAT ABOUT HIM!?" Dudley yelled, jumping up from his seat and sending it flying behind him, a single sausage-like finger shaking in rage as he pointed at his cousin, visibly straining not to curl it into a fist and send it hurtling as he often did when he was irritated at home. The smaller ravenette simply watched his cousin with an odd look, as if restraining himself from laughing, sighing and flinching all at once. He wasn't terribly afraid of whatever Dudley would undoubtedly do to him in retribution for the day, but he'd rather not go another week without food or chained to the shed without even having done anything. Eventually he settled on sighing and tiredly rubbing the growing headache behind his brows.

"It is not your concern what is done with him, Dudley. Your parents never said anything to me about disallowing Harry privileges and as he's been nothing short of a model student today, he is allowed to stay and watch. Now, I do believe I've asked you to stand facing the wall."

"THA'S NOT FAIR! NOT FAIR! THE FREAK SHOULD BE THE ONE PUT OUT! THE FREAK SHOULD-" His temper barely had time to rise as their Professor marched straight over to Dudley and grabbed him up by the ear. He and every other student in the class winced as his cousin screamed louder than he'd ever heard the boy scream before in his life, thrashing and pulling away from the grip at his ear before dropping to the floor like a limp doll as their professor placed him in the hallway. His howling echoed off linoleum and concrete for a second before their professor shut the door behind her, blocking all sound out of the room.

"Are we all ready to watch the movie? It's one of my favorites so I do hope you all like it." The woman continued, brighter than she'd been all morning, forcing the slightest upturn to Harry's lips.

"And despite what was said before, I don't think it's purely a girl's movie. I think anyone can take from it what they do and enjoy it just the same. Now, if no one has anything else to add I'll start the film." And she did, walking between the rows of desks to sit at the very back of the room, patting the top of his dark head as she passed, though Harry had barely noticed. Worry, anger and upset utterly forgotten, his eyes stayed glued to the bright, electric blue screen of the tele as it jarred to life with a cascade of blaring horns before mellowing into a chorus of voices, all different and humming. A few seconds passed and a song started, sweet and low.

 _Cinderella, you're as lovely as your name. Cinderella, you're a sunset in a frame..._

He didn't catch the next few lines, though he did catch gooseflesh as they were sung high and frilled. He snuggled more comfortably in his (see: Dudley's old, stretched and worn) jumper, and swayed slightly to the music. Eventually the singing stopped and another woman's voice echoed around the room, smart and precise:

 _"Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom; peaceful, prosperous, and rich in romance and tradition. Here in a stately chateau, there lived a widowed gentleman, and his little daughter, Cinderella."_

~o0o~

It was well after the movie had ended and yet the tune of the finale hummed loudly in his brain, the choir's singing and dramatic music thrumming with his very pulse. Even with Dudley glaring death at him through puffy, red and tear-filled eyes as they walked, he couldn't get those few lines of that one lovely song out of his head; _No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing..._

"MUMMY!" The blonde screeched, jarring him out of his trance and tearing through the throng of departing students and their awaiting pick-ups without so much as a glance to his silently mulling cousin beside him. He fought down the anxiety rolling through his being as he watched the outline of Dudley's chubby form bee-lining through the crowd to where his mother stood, stone-faced near the front doors of their school.

He couldn't see as well from the distance but he could imagine the look on his cousins' face, could imagine the tears falling from his sky blue eyes as he recounted every detail of his horrible ordeal. His suspicions were confirmed not a minute later as Dudley's fat arm pointed toward where he stood and his mother's eyes followed its direction until they settled directly on him, furious and bitter and- if the way she'd grabbed Dudley by the hand and started marching through the masses meant anything- out for blood.

"Come on!" She hissed by way of greeting, roughly snatching him by the scruff of his jumper, all but dragging both him and Dudley through the rapidly emptying school building. He whimpered as pain flooded from the back of his head where his hair had been grabbed in the woman's fistful and his shirt constantly cut into his windpipe whenever he failed to keep up with her harshly set pace.

"A-Aunt Petunia! Aunt Petunia, stop!"

"Which one is it, Dudley?" She asked, ignoring his whimpers and pleas. Anger simmered behind her every word, though the tone of her voice drastically cooled while speaking to the vengefully grinning cherub beside her. Dudley pointed immediately to the green door nearest them, big blocks of '104' painted on the wall beside it. She nodded and frowned, flinging him to the side without a glance in his direction before wetting her handkerchief and wiping the dried tear tracks on her sons' chubby cheeks.

"Don't worry sweetheart, mummy will fix it." She promised, pulling the boy into her arms and planting a kiss on his temple. She turned and her gentle smile withered and died near instantly. His own eyes grew wide as they met cold chips of blue ice pointed and glaring from well above him. He threw his gaze to the floor, knowing just how much his aunt hated his eyes.

"Now you listen to me and you listen well, you filthy little urchin! You will stay silent while I go in here and fix this great mess you've made, this stain you've put on my baby's reputation!"

"But I didn't-" He started, though he regretted it immediately after when she silenced him, grabbing him by his chin, her nails digging into his skin hard enough to leave half-circle imprints along his jawline.

"You shut your mouth! Don't you dare utter one word while in my presence or the second we get home I'll hold your tongue to the oven burners!" She released him with a snarl. "I don't know why you thought you'd get away with this, lying to your professors just to get Dudley in trouble, but you'd better believe I won't stand for it! Just you wait until your uncle hears about this. You'll be sick to your stomach with chores!" She hissed and huffed, turning on her heels and rapped on their closed classroom door. He couldn't think, couldn't move. His back was pressed flesh against the wall and the sting of her nails in his face still throbbed. He'd been hit harder of course, but tears sprung up in his eyes worse than if he had gotten whipped.

He emptily wondered what he'd truly been expecting. It didn't matter that he'd had absolutely nothing to do with Dudley getting in trouble, let alone lied to cause it. It didn't matter that all his professors loathed Dudley and loved Harry, and could only ever speak his praises. It didn't matter how hard he tried not to cause trouble, or tried to make himself worth something in his relatives eyes. But no. They'd rather shut him up, have him neither seen nor heard, use him as a servant or completely ignore his existence.

He was quite a lot like the girl in the film, Cinderella, it seemed.

He knew his family hated him and like with Cinderella's family, he didn't really understand why. It's not like he ever expected anything from them. He never asked for birthday gifts or special outings like Dudley. He no longer fought to sit at the table with them or join in on their "family time". He did his chores like they wanted and never did better than Dudley in school. Maybe he talked back too much but Dudley talked back a great deal more than he ever did and they still loved him! Why couldn't they just-

Well, he wasn't sure exactly. Why couldn't they like him? Treat him like something other than a nuisance? Be proud of him? Involved with him? Caring for him?

He could've laughed at the thought.

What on earth did he think he'd gain expecting those kinds of things from them? Cinderella hadn't bothered and she ended up with a prince for a husband, a palace to live in and a happily ever after. She even got a godmother out of it! A fairy one, but a godmother nonetheless. Maybe the secret to being happy with the type of life he and Cinderella lived was to be... what was it they'd said?- "Ever gentle and kind…" Silent and accepting. Someone crafty, who could patiently wait until the right opportunity came and would take it, be damned the consequences.

The Dursleys would hate him until the end, he shouldn't expect anything else. Was it fair? God, no! But was it fairer to continue fighting just to be treated the exact same, if not worse with time? Wouldn't it be better to just go along with whatever they wanted, seeing as he'd eventually be forced to do it anyway? Shouldn't he try harder to not let their hatred to change him into an equally hateful person and instead twist it to make himself far more extraordinary? Someone with so much gentle compassion animals flocked to them, instantly trusting them? Someone with a mind of dreams so strong they got granted like a wish? Someone with a heart so kind and pure even the most hopeless situation can be given hope?

He wasn't nearly that kind of person yet but maybe if he worked at it hard enough... perhaps someda-

"Why are you just standing there you little freak? Get over here, now!" His aunt's face was twisted in a horribly furious scowl, her face turning red as she fought to restrain herself from shouting at him at the top of her lungs, or maybe grabbing him by his hair again. He felt his face slip into a scowl and his fists clench in rage... but it died just as quickly as it rose.

Let her call him what she wanted. He wouldn't let it bother him. They didn't deserve his anger. He would be the better person. He was the better person. His professor had said to take from the movie what he needed and this was it, maybe.

 _No more arguing... No more fighting... It's better this way... It's got to get better... Someday... Someday..._

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."


End file.
